To mark American Heart Month, “Parenthood” actress Monica Potter opens up about her father’s deadly heart attack in this exclusive interview. Plus, learn how to protect your loved ones from our country’s top killer…

TV and movie star Monica Potter admits she didn’t know much about heart disease until the day her father’s doctor called the family in for a serious talk.

Her father, a successful businessman, was an overweight diabetic with high blood pressure who exhibited many of the early symptoms of heart problems. Although Potter and the doctors pleaded with him to take better care of himself, he ignored their advice and refused to change his habits.

He died soon after.

The tragic loss served as a wake-up call. Potter has joined forces with the American Heart Association and Campbell’s AdDRESS Your Heart campaign to raise awareness about the importance of heart health.

In this Lifescript exclusive, Potter shares her struggle to cope with her father’s death and the heart-smart lifestyle changes she made as a result.

How did you learn that your father had died of a massive heart attack?It seems like yesterday. It was awful, to put it mildly. My sister and I were working in Newfoundland [Canada], and I got a phone call in the middle of the night.

My sister yelled, “Dad is dead!”

I was like, “What?” I was taken aback by it.

How long ago was that? It was [in 2004] and it still affects all of us in my family to this day.

When I was approached to do this [heart health] campaign, I said, “I don’t really like to talk about it.”

I was kind of in denial.

What did you know about heart attacks before your father died?I was uneducated about heart disease. I had no idea. My dad had all the heart attack warning signs and didn’t do anything about it.

This is [my way of] trying to help in any way I can, so this doesn’t happen to another family.

What were those heart attack warning signs?He would be short of breath. He was also a diabetic and overweight. His diabetes contributed to the heart disease, and he had high blood pressure.

[His symptoms of a heart attack were] all connected.

When his doctor called your family in for the big meeting, how did your father react?
It was very odd. [The doctor] was worried.

My dad didn’t want to get the [cardiac] catheterization [a procedure used to check blood flow in coronary arteries, blood pressure in heart chambers, how well heart valves work and find any defects in the way the heart wall moves].

He didn’t listen to his doctors. He just ignored it, and, ultimately, it took his life. He was a hardhead, which I loved about him. But it was also not good.

How did you try to help him?He still ate poorly after that meeting with his doctor. Every single day, I’d say, “Dad, please get the catheterization.”

[My dad] was worried, because he didn’t always trust doctors. He was just afraid, and it was out of fear that he wouldn’t do what the doctors said.

What was it like to try so hard to help him and then lose him anyway?I’m mad at him, because I have a little girl that didn’t get to meet him. My sister, Jessica, was pregnant at the time, so her kids never met him.

Talking about my dad is bringing up feelings I didn’t deal with. Everybody has these [sad] stories in their own family, but I’m hoping that [my story will help] people change their lifestyles and eating habits.

What changes did you make after he died?At first, I was really angry. I didn’t change right away. I said to myself, I’m going to eat and do whatever I want. I’m mad at him and can’t believe he did this.

Then, [two years after his death], I started to think, Wait a second, there needs to be a break in the cycle here.

Now, all of us, my sisters included, are making a conscious effort to ensure that whatever we put into our bodies is healthier.

You have three kids: Daniel, Liam, Molly.How have you changed the way you, and they, eat?I always make sure we have two vegetables for dinner. And I have a snack cooler in the car with water, fruits and vegetables.

I have soup at work, the lower-sodium variety, so I’m not tempted by all the goodies on-set.

You can still indulge at times, but make it the exception, not the rule.

Do you exercise to stay healthy?I do. I sometimes don’t consider walking exercise, but I walk a lot.

I go hiking out here in L.A. with the kids, and it’s a good workout. But I’d like to get back to the point where I’m in the gym every day. It’s hell, but it’s really good for you. I’m trying to get into better shape.

But I’m lucky because on the set of my TV series “Parenthood,” we get to do active scenes.

Yesterday on the show, we were playing basketball. It was a three-hour workout. I really treasure those little moments because I’m getting in shape a bit more.

With three kids and a busy career, is it hard to make time to work out?I used to go to the gym every day for two hours, because I felt like I was doing something good for myself.

But with my work schedule, [I can find] all types of excuses. So I made a pact with myself that I would take good care of myself this year and go to the gym.

Why did you originally cut down on your exercise schedule?Like so many other mothers, before I leave the house, I have to make sure everything is in order.

Then I’ll rationalize not exercising by saying, “Oh, I can’t go because [my daughter] Molly needs her lunch packed,” or “this needs to get done,” or “I have to send in this,” or, “[my son] Liam needs help with his homework.”

How do you stop yourself from giving in to those excuses?Whatever that excuse is, we need to put all that aside and go for the hour. You’ll feel better about yourself and be able to deal with your family better.

You’re a slender woman. You seem like you’re already in good shape.I’m learning that you can be slender – you can be a size 8 – and still not be healthy.

You don’t have to be overweight to be unhealthy. My mom is a perfect example of that.

What sort of health concerns does your mother have?She’s very slim, but she has high blood pressure and cholesterol. I’m getting it genetically from all sides here, so I have to be really careful.

Initially, you didn’t want to discuss your father’s illness publicly. What has it been like to talk about his death through your work with the AHA’s heart-health campaign? This whole process has been cathartic for me.

I’m sharing my dad’s story – and how it affected me and my sisters – to show others how to become more proactive, so we can break the cycle of this horrible disease.

Are You on the Road to a Heart Attack?Every 20 seconds, a heart attack occurs somewhere in the United States. Coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in this country, contributes to the 1.5 million heart attacks that occur each year. Will you become a part of this statistic? Find out if your ticker is going to keep ticking with this heart attack quiz.

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